I have made a terrible mistake.

everyone i have ever asked told me it will fit my needs in a rifle since i do not trust DGI rifles. so i shelled out the 700 for a brand new ranch .223/5.56 only to find out i have dug my own grave just because of the magazines. i do like my ranch ergonomically as well as aesthetically, but i regret my decision solely based on the magazines for it.

i bought one single no name 30-rnd and got it shipped to me. i mean, its a mag, AKs will take any type of steel mag, ARs take all random steel mags made for it, so what the hell why not. upon arrival i slammed it in and noticed right away it had a bad fore to aft rock to it. this rock causes only a couple of rounds to feed before the bolt just simply passes over the rest in the mag. so i did what ive done to all my steel AK mags and tooled it - nope. same problem, no solid fit. its like the mag itself is to skinny width wise. i would have to put a bead of weld on the back then shape it to fit to even come close to working.

So i went back on line and researched, dear god what have i done

there are NO good after market mags for the Ruger Mini-14. none what so ever, if you tell me there is i can show you no less than 50 reviews that say whatever you have is a hunk of crap. Polymer, Stainless, Blued, ProMag, Tapco, John Masen- it dont matter its all crap and wont work like nothing compared to the whole grail of all semi-auto rifle mags, the ruger factory mag.

so my question is, whats it like driving a corvette since you can also afford to shell out 44 bucks for one magazine. Or did any of you make the same mistake and just put the 5 rnd mag that came with it back in the gun and store it somewhere where it wouldnt get in the way. other than taking out a small loan to get the same loadout i have for my others, i fear i am stuck.

I lucked out in that my 183-series Mini-14 happily uses any brand of mag. and any brand of ammo that I decide to use. You might look at your Mini's mag. latch and see if it needs to be adjusted. Most mag. problems are because the hole in the back at the top isn't in the right location or isn't the right size. After the mag. latch gets broken in some, it fits the holes in the mag's. better.

thats my problemo snake. this mag dosent have a hole in the back like the factory mag, its a spot welded (i think) rectangle plate, that was off center to begin with that i had to shape to get into that small notch inside the well.

so i punched a hole in that mag so the latch would seat more forward, stopping the play since that latch is acting like a fulcrum point for the entire mag. no joy. it still wants to seat even further into this mag, almost a full 8th into it. i have no idea in there infinite wisdom why ruger made that an angled catch when if it was flush against the mag upon insertion, all you would need as a rectangle plate.

thanks snake i appreciate the help, and the link, i just find it redamndiculous that for a functional mag i still have to pay out the ass, when the most you will ever have to pay for any other rifle is 25 bucks at the most.

I hear what you say about the expense of good mags for your rifle, but you DO have a great rifle to start with. Thirty-odd bucks each for a factory mag is pricey, but buy 5 or 6 over time and you should be set for life with a great rifle and dependable mags.

On the other hand, buy a cheaper rifle (that you can find cheap mags for) and you've got a cheap rifle for life. Or until you dump it and buy the one you really want.....

thats my problemo snake. this mag dosent have a hole in the back like the factory mag, its a spot welded (i think) rectangle plate, that was off center to begin with that i had to shape to get into that small notch inside the well.

so i punched a hole in that mag so the latch would seat more forward, stopping the play since that latch is acting like a fulcrum point for the entire mag. no joy. it still wants to seat even further into this mag, almost a full 8th into it. i have no idea in there infinite wisdom why ruger made that an angled catch when if it was flush against the mag upon insertion, all you would need as a rectangle plate.

thanks snake i appreciate the help, and the link, i just find it redamndiculous that for a functional mag i still have to pay out the ass, when the most you will ever have to pay for any other rifle is 25 bucks at the most.

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Man, forgive my error I screwed up trying to work from memory. There is a rectangular protrution on the back of the mag. that the mag. latch locks into. In order to lock up tight the knotch needs to be square and at the right height. Here's a photo of a Ruger factory Mini-14 Mag. I still think the latch may need a little help.

yea, that small notch right underneath the rectangle piece, apparently that one spot is whats needed for a mag to work properly in the mini and every-single-aftermarket company is missing it. im afraid to put that notch under the one that was bought for me as a gift cause then i obviously cant return it. but that one is a pro-mag, and it automatically sits higher than my no name mag, but the round catches against the bore, but as soon as you touch the mag, it sits.

i understand that there are more expensive mags out there and i feel for you especially since i done and did this to myself. but i didnt exactly buy a rare rifle here. FAL, AK, AR, M1 carbine, M14 all those have working functional mags available for 25 bucks or less and its my fault for thinking the mini would be the same way.

Diamondback, I think Zant is talking about the Type 99 light machinegun, not the Type 99 rifle, and he is sure right about those magazines; they are made from unobtanium.

Maybe it is silly to point this out and I will get slapped down, but the Ruger magazines have to be inserted like the M14 magazines - tip forward at the bottom, put the front into the mag well until the front hole engages, then swing the bottom back and up. If you try to just push them straight in like the AR rifles, they jam and won't feed.

OK, I am wearing a steel pot (no cheap kevlar for this old soldier), so let fly.